Inspirational Women – The Women’s Institute

I attended my first ever WI meeting last week. It was a truly heart warming experience, the ladies at Margate WI could not have been more welcoming. It appears my little sister did exactly the same thing just a few days before me, perhaps we are just getting old…But these women got me excited to be a part of something really powerful. They were all intelligent, passionate, compassionate and creative – all up for creating a community of connections that are truly inspiring, nurturing and perhaps even a force for positive change in our local community. I can’t wait to officially be a part of this group of warrior princesses!

A little bit of history…(nicked from their website)

Originally the Women’s Institute (WI) was formed in 1915 to revitalise rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food during the First World War. Since then the organisation’s aims have broadened and the WI is now the largest voluntary women’s organisation in the UK. The WI will celebrate its centenary in 2015 and currently has 212,000 members in around 6,600 WIs.

The WI plays a unique role in providing women with educational opportunities and the chance to build new skills, to take part in a wide variety of activities and to campaign on issues that matter to them and their communities. All WIs are different – some focus on crafting, some political and social reform.

Perhaps you have a WI near you? They only charge a small fee to visitors so you don’t have to join to check out what they are up to. And perhaps you will also meet a group of amazing women that you can enjoy a really positive connection with – plus they generally always have great cakes!